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Has anyone seen this article? Pretty interesting in light of other conversations we are having on this forum.

Article: Who Can Be Saved? [firstthings.com]


Blessings,

Lance

A Byzantine Christian in a Postmodern World [byzantinechristian.blogspot.com]

(Dr.) Mike Liccione has posted his own thoughts on this subject on his blog. I recommend it.

http://tinyurl.com/2ek7r5

Fancy meeting you here, AO!

Thanks for that link. ML is one of the finer bloggers out there who gets little respect and not much attention... his articles are too long, too scholarly, and not polemic enough for most to notice!

Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord I would suppose.
Stephanos I

As a former Protestant, I must ask a question I know some Evangelicals would be asking. If someone can be saved in a Protestant church and in the Catholic church why is it better to follow one tradition over another?

Terry

Fr. Stephanos,

Not to poke fun, but the first thing that popped into my head upon reading your post was to remember our Lord's words in Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me 'Lord, Lord' shall enter the kingdom of Heaven..."

Alexis

Terry,

Because the Church, while not denying that salvation is possible for those not officially united to her, teaches that the surest means of salvation are through official membership in the Church.

The Church claims to be the only means of salvation. "Extra ecclesia nulla salus," as you've heard. There is no salvation outside of the Church, but there are those who are mysteriously united to the Church (i.e. "in" the Church), while not officially being members.

But the Church teaches that She has the fullness of truth and the mediation of divine graces through the Sacraments, and is the surest means of salvation. We know what the Church has (divine graces coming to us through the Sacraments, etc.), and we do not know where this is outside of Her.

Therefore in the interest of one's eternal salvation it is desirable/imperative that he be a Catholic Christian.

Alexis

Agreed, Protestents may seem to have the easier way, not being required to do many of the things that are required of Catholics but Catholicism is a whole lot easier in the long run because you have so much more available to you to make the journey and when it comes to salvation better to take the surest way.

Protestants tend to view faith differently than Catholics. Rather than being a way of living, faith for some is too often reduced to statements and social obligations.

Terry

Allow me to quote Blessed Theophan the Recluse.

"You ask, will the heterodox be saved... Why do you worry about them? They have a Saviour Who desires the salvation of every human being. He will take care of them. You and I should not be burdened with such a concern. Study yourself and your own sins... I will tell you one thing, however: should you, being Orthodox and possessing the Truth in its fullness, betray Orthodoxy, and enter a different faith, you will lose your soul forever."

I believe the foregoing answer by the saintly ascetic to be the best that can be given in this matter.

Alexandr

That's a wise answer.